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Orbit Airlines
History Orbit Airlines was founded on 22 August 1956 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Airline commenced operations with a brand new Cessna 172 Skyhawk, which was delivered on the same day the airline was founded, starting sightseeing flights from Broward County International Airport (now Ft. Lauderdale International Airport). In the 60's, the airline started to offer charter flights in the general aviation business. The flights were offered mainly from Broward County International to Tampa, Palm Beach, and Atlanta. In 1969, Orbit placed orders for 15 Boeing 707s and 12 Boeing 727s. The aircraft were delivered to the airline in January and May 1970, respectively. In 1974, Orbit offered their first scheduled flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Raleigh. The flight was flown by the Boeing 727, which wasn´t big enough for the high demand on this route. Thus, the flights were well booked and bringing a good profit to the small airline. In 1975, Orbit began operating under a codeshare agreement with Atlantis Airways and, in 1976, began operating regular routes between Florida and the Bahamas, using Orbit's newly introduced fleet of Boeing 727s and Atlantis' fleet of Douglas DC-9s. On 16 October 1975, Orbit received its first Boeing 737-200, which was stationed at Miami Airport. From this day on, the airline was starting to get a big player on the international airline market. In 1976, the airline moved its headquarters to Tampa. Because the airline wanted to build up a network of holiday flights from there, two Boeing 737-200s were flown to destinations like Newark, Detroit, and St. Louis. Orbit Airlines also offered feeder services to St. Louis. On 19 November 1976, Atlantis Airways filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy. In January 1977, Orbit decided to acquire Atlantis and their fleet of 21 Douglas DC-9s. The airline completed the merger in November 1977. In 1979, the airline began operating flights to the Western and Southwestern United States. For this, the airline placed orders for new widebody aircraft. Orders for 14 Boeing 747-100s, 17 Boeing 747-200s, and 20 McDonnell Douglas DC-10s were placed. In May 1981, Orbit received its first 4 DC-10s, all stationed at Miami. The next month, the airline began operating DC-10 flights from Miami to destinations such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas. In March 1984, Orbit founded its regional subsidiary Orbit Connection. In November 1984, Orbit Connection began feeder services from Ft. Lauderdale to Atlanta and Palm Beach to Raleigh, operated by the deHavilland Dash 8-100, these aircraft then were accompanied by deHavilland Dash 8 300, saab 340s and embraer 120, these aircraft allowed for more destinations, such as key west, Tallahassee and Jacksonville. With the advancements on the carrier, it was then re-branded as Orbit Regional Link. In 1986, Orbit received its first Boeing 757, which operated regular daily routes from the East coast to destinations in the Western US such as Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. Also Orbit got the brand new 767 200, in wich Orbit opened routes between East Coast to West Coast and from Miami to South America. On 09 May 1987, Orbit Airlines formed a codeshare agreement with low-cost Canadian carrier Contact Airways. The airlines then started low-cost seasonal flights from Boston and New York LaGuardia to Canadian destinations such as Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver, which were operated using Orbits fleet of Dash 8-100s, Saab 340s, and embraer 120, and Contact's fleet of Boeing 737-300s. In 1989, Orbit decided to start operating internationally. Thus, the airline placed orders for 27 Boeing 747-400s and 19 McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, the first of which were received in 1991 and 1992, respectively. With these aircraft, Orbit airlines was decided to open new hubs, so they got some slots in NewYork LaGuardia, New Jork JFK, Seattle, Portland and Los ángeles. Then after the opening of these hubs, Orbit airlines got more, these were: Miami international airport, Houston Intercontinental airport and San Francisco international airport. In December of 1989 Orbit got its first 767 300, with the new aircraft the airline started trans atlantic flights and West Coast - Hawaii flights marking the introduction of Hawaii in Orbit airlines. Since the LAX-HNL route was so succesfull Orbit airlines in 1995 placed orders for the 777 200, the first of wich arrived directly in from Seattle to LAX and started flying to Honolulu. Then Papeete was introduced, Orbit airlines started flying between LAX and Papeete with Orbits new fleet of 767 and 777. In 1990, Orbit Airlines began a major fleet overhaul. In April, the airline began phasing out its aging fleet of 56 Boeing 737-200s and replacing them with the larger and more modern Boeing 737-400. Orbit also began retiring its fleet of 747-100s and 747-200s, which were being replaced with the more advanced 747-400. In 1992, Orbit regained control of it's financial crisis and where able to buy more 747-400s and later that year, they began for real to operate the long-haul flights for Orbit. In 1992, Orbit began flying its new 747-400 and MD-11 aircraft on transcontinental routes between the US, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, with flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and Melbourne, via Miami, New York JFK, Houston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. In 1994, the airline received 13 Airbus A320s for operating routes between the US, Canada, Mexico, and various other US territories. In 1995, the airline's last 747-200 was converted to a freighter aircraft and sold to Quantum Air Cargo. By then, Orbit had 17 747-400s operating medium to long haul and transcontinental routes to and from the US. In 1997, the last Boeing 737-200 was sold to an airline from Mallorca (Spain) and Orbit Airline meanwhile had a fleet of 86 Boeing 737-400, which were all purchased new. Orbit airlines started a U.S Hub domination, in wich orbit airlines opened a hub on all the possible airports, these included Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Boston, Providence an a lot more, this was caused beacause Orbit Airlines believes on the Point to Point model. In February 2000, Orbit Regional Link placed orders for the ATR 72, Bombardier CRJ700 and Q400 regional airliners. Deliveries of these aircraft were completed in 2002. Finally in 2001, Contact Airways filed for bankruptcy and merged with Orbit. It was decided to keep Orbit Airlines as the name for the new airline. All of Contact's aircraft were transferred to the Orbit Connection fleet and, thus, repainted from the blue, green, and white paint of Contact Airways into the red and white livery of Orbit Airlines. In 2003, Orbit decided to update their 23-year-old livery. In September, the airline introduced their new "Friendly Skies" livery, which consisted of a white upper half of the fuselage and a yellow bottom half with a yellow and blue tail. Also in 2003, Orbit Airlines placed orders for the Airbus A321 and Boeing 737-700 to replace their aging fleet of Boeing 737-400s. Also in 2003 Orbit introduced the plan "Westly innovative", in wich the airline got more space in Western hubs, such as San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Anchorage, they started atlantic and pacific flights from these hubs, people congratulated Orbit on this plan, it may´ve been tho most succesfull plan in Orbits History, since now people traveling between San Diego and London didn´t have to connect through Los Angeles or San Francisco. In summer 2005, the first A321 was delivered to Orbit's largest US hub in Miami. The new aircraft also debuted the airline's new "Friendly Skies" livery, which is still in use today. In 2006, the Boeing 737-800 was introduced. The new fleet began operating routes within the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Also in May of 2008 the first 767 400 was given to Orbit Airlines, and started operating flights between Miami and Sao Paulo. In 2009, the airline moved to its headquarters back to Ft. Lauderdale, moving nearest to Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami international airport. In november of 2009 Orbit started thinking of International Hubs, so they talked to the British Government and they got slots in London Heathrow Airport and in London Gatwick. Then they got slots in Amsterdam and in Paris Charles de Gaulle. After Europe they opened a Hub in Tokyo. After that they tried to get all the regional traffic to regional airports, that meant that they got a space in London City Airport, they got LaGuardia airport as a total hub, they opened some slots in Washington Ronald Reagan and in Rio Santos Dumont. In 2011, Orbit placed orders for the recently introduced Boeing 747-8I. The first 5 aircraft were delivered directly from Seattle to Miami in spring 2014, with 10 more aircraft still on order. In 2013 all MD-11 aircraft were sold to Global airlines. In summer 2015, Orbit placed orders for the Bombardier CS100 and CS300, deliveries of which are expected to begin in October 2017 and March 2018, respectively. In autumn 2016, Orbit acquired Infinite Airlines's stake. It made the airlines received all fleets from Infinite Airlines which consist of 5 Boeing 747-8I, 12 Boeing 777-200ER, 2 and 8 remain orders of Boeing 787, 37 Boeing 737-700 (including 2 BBJ aircraft), 15 Bombardier Dash 8, 2 Airbus A318 ACJ, 2 Cessna Citation X, and 5 Cirrus Sr-22 In November of 2016 Orbit introduced the plan "Renovate", in wich the airline did an analysis of its fleet and routes and started to order new aircraft, this included an order for all of the A320NEO Family, Boeing 787 Family, Airbus A350 1000, Boeing 737MAX family, Bombardier C Series, and then on early 2017 the airbus A330NEO family. This plan also saw the retiring of some planes, wich were old an were set to be replaced, the early retiring saw the Airbus A340 600, and the plan for some retiring aircraft, such as the MD 80 family, A340 300, Boeing 717, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767. Also on the "Renovate" Plan, the whole Orbit fleet saw a cabin retrofit, with all the possible aircraft now having IFE, new legroom, new seating plan, and other details that made customers happy, such as a 2 part Tray table, a Cup holder, installing personal USB ports and personal Universal power outlets. Also the service was refreshed, with new catering services, and established snacks on all the short haul flights, and meals on 2+ Hours flights. with refreshed cabins and seats, mood lightning was installed on all the possible planes, and new lavatories. "Renovate" also had plans for Business and first class seats, now on the Transcontinental 757s and Transcontinentals A321s, there will be 8 First class seats, arranged on a 1-1 Configuration, 22 Business class seats arranged on a 2-2 Configuration, and the new economy product on the back of the plane. Also new Set up bars were installed. The Longhaul fleet saw a complete renovation on the First Class, all of the 1 decker aircraft equipped with First Class such as the A340 300, A350 1000, 777 300er and the Boieng 787 10, now held the new First Class seats arranged on a 1-1-1 configuration, the services are demonstrated on the Services Page. All of the 2 Decker Jumbo jets, the 747 400 and 747 800I, Got the New First Class seats on the upper deck, on a 1-1-1 in the Front and 1-1 at the back of the Upper deck, the A380 at the upper deck, held the First Class seats on a 1-1-1 Configuration. "Renovation" At Business class was significant, as the new configuration on all of the Longhaul fleet was set in a 1-2-1 Configuration, the specifications are on the Service Page. Also in "Renovate" the Hubs saw an intense renovation, this included the Business class lounge, wich was ampliated and refreshed, offering some of the best experiences in the world. More Buffets, more computers, free wifi, and restaurants. Also the implement of new hubs was thinked, and eventually, slots were offered at the new Orbit Airlines Hubs, you´ll find them on the Hubs page. "Renovate" plan also held all of the Regional service offered by Orbit Regional link, so the old planes were retired and some are being retired, such as the Embraer 120 Brasilia, Dash 8 Q100, Embraer ERJ135, and Saab 340, being replaced by newer ATR 72 and ATR 42, also the CRJ Family, Dash 8 Q400, E-175, and E-195. In 2017, the Boeing 787-9 was introduced at Miami International Airport. Orbit is currently flying its new 787-9 fleet on routes to Europe and South America. And the airline also introduced Airbus A380 in December 2017. A380 will serve high-density routes, like London, Paris, and Dubai. On the 25th of May 2018, Orbit announced it had cancelled the ATR orders and plant to order to more Q400's and new EMB 120's to replace the older fleet of Saab 340 and CRJ 200. This was announced after a disagreement with the French aircraft manufacturer. Today the airline is the most popular airline in terms of domestic services, and the second-most popular airline for international services behind World Travel Airways Service Orbit Airlines improved its service in the past years, with better catering services and newer and fresher cabins. First the already talked about "Renovation" plan included most of the improvements in service. First Orbit retired older aircraft, and ordered new ones. The cabin refreshment included a complete new seat, a 2 part tray table, a cup holder, personal USB ports,, personal Universal power outlets, IFE, literature pocket, Seat back pocket, headrest and a coathook. the cabin also got mood lightning, new lavatories, new galley, and privacy dividers between every single class. Long Haul Aircraft First Class First Class had been converted into a little room, 1-1-1 configuration allows for direct aisle access, the room include a big screen, a bed, a large tray table, a large amenity kit, a writing kit, a beauty kit, a lamp, BOSE headphones that each passenger keeps, a seat to seat phone and chat, your personalized closet and on the A380 and 747 you have access to a shower, and much more amenities. The lounge is huge and you can do lots of activities there, from sleeping in your own room, take a shower or just eat at the restaurant. Once you settle in via priority Boarding, the flight attendants call you by your name, offer you a very variated choice of pre departure drinks, and introduce you the plane, then, the flight attendants get you your pajamas and offer you a pre departure snack. After takeoff you get our 5 Star Menu for your choice, if the flight is more than 5 hours, there will be 3 eating services, the menu will be offering 4 choices at each state, appetizer, Entreé, Main Course, and desert. then the 2nd service will be lighter and the 3rd service is of choice, this means that you can choose if you will eat the 3rd service or not. There will be tea services and hot towels during the flight, throughout the flight flight attendants will be offering you drinks and will be making sure you are satisfied. Business Class In Business class you also have access to the Lounge, you will also board via priority boarding, once you settle in your seat the flight attensants will call you by your name and introduce themsalves, they will offer you a pre departure drink and will offer you the amenity kit and a pre departure snack, the seat includes a flat bed, a Screen, direct aisle access, a suit door that you can open or close, your own closet, and lots of storage room. After takeoff, you´ll have the same 5 star menu and the same service as in first class. Premium Economy Premium economy is arranged in a 2-3-2 Configuration, you have access to a little lounge-bar. You´ll settle in and find a screen, a little privacy divider, and lots of other amenities, an amenity kit will be offered to you and you´ll be also offered a pre departure drink. After takeoff you´ll be offered 2 meals throughout the flight, also hot towel services and tea services, a little menu is offered to each passenger and you can pick up from 4 different options, after arrival you have also access to the lounge Economy Economy is arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration or a 3-4-3 configuration depending on wich aircraft you are flying, you´ll settle in and the flight attendant will give you a hot towel, a little amenity kit, and some orange juice or water, after takeoff you´ll have access to 2 catering services throughout the flight, and you´ll be offered a little menu in wich you can choose the meal option. Several hot towels will be offered and drinks throughout the flight. Short Haul Aircraft Business class Business class is arranged in a 2-2 configuration, you have access to the lounge, and you enter the aircraft via priority boarding, there´s a little privacy divider, a screen, a footrest, an amenity kit, and much more amenities, once settled in the flight attendant will call you by your name and will offer you a pre departure drink and a pre depature snack, also they will be offering BOSE Headphones that you can keep. After departure you will have a snack on -2 hour flights and a meal on 2+ Hour flights. Once you arrive you have access to the lounge. Premium Economy Premium Economy is offered in a 3-3 configuration, you have access to the lounge, once you settle in the flight attendant will offer you a pre departure snack and a pre departure beverage. Once airborne you´ll have a snack on -2 hour Flights and a meal on +2 Hour flights, hot towels and drink services will be offered throughout the flight. Once you arrive you have access to the lounge. Economy Economy is arranged in a 3-3 Configuration, once you settle in the flight attendant will pass out giving out headphones wich you can keep by a small charge of 2 dollars. Once airborne you´ll have a snack on -2 hour flights, and 2 meal services on +2 Hour flights. Hubs Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) New York JFK (JFK, LGA) Rio De Janeiro (GIG, SDU) Seattle Tacoma (SEA) Las Vegas (LAS) Tokyo Narita (NRT) Los Angeles (LAX) London Heathrow (LHR, LGW, LCY) Denver (DEN) Dallas (DFW) Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) Baltimore (BWI) Philadelphia (PHL) Boston (BOS) Seoul (ICN) Bogotá (BOG) Auckland (AKL) Honolulu (HNL) Guam (GUM) Rome (FCO) Chicago (ORD) Detroit (DTW) San Diego (SAN) Portland (PDX) Anchorage (ANC) Phoenix (PHX) Washington (IAD, DCA) Providence (PVD) Cincinnati (CVG) Pittsburgh (PIT) Salt Lake City (SLC) San Francisco (SFO) Atlanta (ATL) Raleigh (RDU) Jacksonville (JAX) Cleveland (CLE) Honolulu (HNL) Minneapolis (MSP) Paris (CDG) Spokane (GIG) Fleet ''Mainstream'' Airbus A319 (40, 5 On Order) Airbus A320 (73, 100 Neo variant on order) Airbus A321 (33, 75 Neo variant on order) Airbus A330-200 (23, 7 On order) Airbus A330-300 (28, 12 On order) Airbus A330-800NEO (50 On order, deliveries expected March 2020) Airbus A330-900NEO (40 On order, deliveries expected May 2019) Airbus A340-300 (15, Will be replaced by A330 900NEO) Airbus A350-1000 (45 On order, delivery expected to begin in January 2019) Airbus A380 (20, 5 currently on order) Airbus A380 Plus (40, currently on order) Boeing 737-700 (94) Boeing 737-800 (112) Boeing 737-900ER (35, 60 On order) Boeing 737MAX7 (50 On order, delivery expected to begin in June 2018) Boeing 737MAX8 (10, 90currently on order) Boeing 737MAX9 (40, Currently on order) Boeing 737 MAX10 (35, Currently on order, and set to replace 757s on domestic routes) Boeing 747-400 (50, 5 747-400s will be replaced by newer 747 8I and A350s) Boeing 747-8I (24, 26 currently on order) Boeing 757-200 (40, Older Aircraft Going Through Retirement, all fitted with winglets) Boeing 757-300 (30, all fitted with winglets) Boeing 767-300ER (35, 5 More To Be Aquired From Delta) Boeing 767.400ER (40) Boeing 777-200 (40 ER, 20 LR) Boeing 777-300ER (36, 14 on order) Boeing 777 8X (20 on order) Boeing 777 9X (50 on order) Boeing 787-8 (10, 30 On Order) Boeing 787-9 (9, 21 On Order) Boeing 787-10 (20 On order) McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (36, currently undergoing retirement) McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (36, currently undergoing retirement) McDonnell Douglas MD-88 (28,currently undergoing retirement) ''Regional'' Boeing 717 (50, currently undergoing retirement) Bombardier CRJ200 (89, currently undergoing retirement) Bombardier CRJ700 (120) Bombardier CS100 (1, 49 On Order) Bombardier CS300 (5, 35 On Order) Bombardier CRJ900 (47, 59 on order) Bombardier Q400 (53, 120 on order) Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (75, 75 on order) Embraer E175 (37, 30 on order) Embraer E195 (35, 15 on order) DeHavilland Dash 8-100 (35, currently undergoing retirement)) Saab 340 (39, being replaced by the EMB 120) Cargo Boeing 747-400F (20, Oldest Aircraft Being Replaced By 747-8F and 777F) Boeing 747-8F (12, 18 On Order, Replacing Older 747-400Fs) Boeing 777-200F (30, 10 On Order, Replacing Older 747-400Fs) ''Former'' Airbus A310-300F Airbus A340-600 ATR 42 ATR 72 Boeing 707 Boeing 727-200 Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737-400 Boeing 747SP Boeing 747-100 Boeing 747-200 Boeing 767 200 Douglas DC-8 Jetstream 32 Jetstream 41 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 McDonnell Douglas MD-11(sold to global airlines) Saab 2000 New Orbit airlines routes Miami - Pereira, Airbus A319 London - Tórshavn Airbus A319 Pittsburgh - London Boeing 757 Cleveland - London Boeing 757 Miami - Cartagena Airbus A320 Miami - Barranquilla Airbus A320 Miami - Santa Marta Embraer 195 Jacksonville - Key West Saab 340 Nueva York - Guayaquil Boeing 787 8 Nueva York - Córdoba Boeing 787 8 Sydney - Buenos Aires Boeing 787 8 Spokane - New York Airbus a320 Portland - Tokyo Boeing 787 8 Dallas - Lihue Boeing 787 8 New York - Cartagena - Pereira Airbus A319 Minneapolis - Fargo Embraer ERJ145 Minneapolis - Amsterdam Boeing 777 200 Chicago - Osaka Boeing 787 8 Atlanta - Osaka Boeing 787 8 London - Bermuda Boeing 767 Tampa - Key West EMB 120 Veracruz - Dallas Embraer ERJ140 Seattle - Cancun Boeing 737 800 Portland - Cancun Boeing 737 700 Spokane - Cancún Boeing 737 700 Portland - Victoria EMB 120 San Francisco - Victoria Q400 Los Angeles - Victoria Embraer 175 Los Angeles - Juneau Boeing 737 700 Tokyo - Perth Boeing 787 8, 747 8 New York - Saint John - Nuuk Bombardier CRJ200 Washington - Halifax Embraer 175 Seattle - Fargo CRJ700 Salt Lake City - Tokyo Boeing 787 8 Detroit - Paris Airbus A350 1000 Sydney - Auckland Airbus A350 1000 Amsterdam - Torshavn Airbus A319 San Francisco - Honolulu (Business service) Airbus A318 Durango - Salt Lake City Saab 340 London - Bern Embraer 175 Amsterdam - Bern ATR 42 Barcelona - Detroit Boeing 787 8 Los Angeles-New Delhi B747 8 These are some of the new Orbit Airlines Routes. Accidents and Incidents On 24 December, 1983, Orbit Flight 5022, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was travelling from Madrid to Paris Orly with 80 people. Shorty after takeoff the plane banked dangerously to the left and crashed. The sole survivor was a five-year-old boy. The cause of the crash was a broken pipe which caused hydraulic fluid to leak out, which caused the flaps and slats to fail. The DC-9 takeoff warning did not go off as it was control but the flap lever not the flap position. This flight was actually the third to last flight of this plane before retirement as the plane was 33 years old. The DC-9s were being replaced by the MD-80's. This was the first fatal accident in Orbit's history. On 13 October, 1989, Orbit Flight 5925, A Dash-8 was travelling from Denver to Durango with three crew members and 21 passengers. While landing, it crashed into a small Cessna 172, killing all three people on the Cessna instantly. The Dash stopped short of the end of the runway. 15 of the 24 occupants on board the Orbit plane were seriously injured and one later died of smoke inhalation. The cause of the crash was that the Cessna 172 did not listen to the common air traffic frequency and did not look for traffic while taking off and also did not announce that they were taking off. On 12 May, 1991, upon takeoff, Orbit Airlines Flight 1330, a Boeing 747-400, collided with Pacific Airlines Flight 142, also a Boeing 747-400, on the runway at San Francisco International Airport. The crash claimed the lives of 386 people, making it America's deadliest commercial aviation disaster, as well as the deadliest accident involving both Orbit and Pacifica Airlines. The cause of the collision was due to lack of situational awareness on behalf of the Pacifica crew, which was further hampered by outdated radar and charts. On 27 December, 1996, Orbit Airlines Flight 774, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, crashed into the Puget Sound while attempting to return to Seattle Tacoma International Airport. All 139 passengers and crew were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be an electrical arcing event that triggered a fire in the front of the aircraft that burned through electrical wiring powering several crucial flight deck systems. On 15 August, 1998, as part of a prank, an Orbit Boeing 737-400 awaiting maintenance at Sacramento Airport was tagged by a group of Orbit Airlines interns who reportedly altered the aircraft's tail registration (N199OR) with spray paint so that it spelled the N-Word. The interns were arrested for destruction of public property and were promptly fired from Orbit Airlines. The aircraft's registration was later changed to N529CT. On 28 December, 1998, Orbit Flight 6832, an Airbus A320 travelling from Washington DC to West Palm Beach, ditched in the Potomac River after both engines shut down due to fuel contamination. Despite a safe ditching, 3 people got trapped inside the aircraft and drowned before they could be rescued. The aircraft was written off. On 7 June, 2000, Orbit Airlines Flight 872, a Boeing 757-200 travelling from Austin to San Fransisco with 198 passengers and crew, overran the runway at San Francisco and ditched in the San Francisco Bay upon landing in rainy weather. All passengers and crew on board were evacuated and rescued by the Coast Guard before the plane sank into the bay. The airframe was recovered from the bay, written off due to extensive damage, and has since become an aviation museum exhibit. On 19 March, 2001, Orbit Flight 37, a Boeing 747-400, N851OR, was travelling from San Francisco to Tokyo with 289 people aboard. During the flight's initial climb out of SFO, both the plane's port-side engines ingested a small flock of seagulls. The pilots were able to return to San Francisco and execute a successful emergency landing with no loss of life. The airframe's engines were repaired and the plane was restored to service the following month. On July 21st, 2002, Orbit Flight 7865, A Boeing 737-400 was travelling from Denver to Sacramento with 102 people. Toward the end of the flight, the flight crew lost contact with ATC. The flight diverted to Reno and remained in a holding pattern. The plane eventually ran out of fuel and the flight crew executed an emergency landing at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. No injuries on board. The investigation linked the incident to pilot error. On June 29th, 2003, Orbit Flight 1250, A Boeing 737-400 was flying from Austin to Fort Lauderdale with 52 people onboard, when the aircraft crashed just after takeoff from runway 17L, killing everyone onboard. The cause of the crash was the crew's failure to set the flaps before takeoff, thus not giving the plane enough lift to stay in the air. On 21 March, 2005, Orbit flight 232, A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was travelling from Sydney to Los Angeles with 264 people on board. Soon after takeoff the tail engine began surging and pulsing fire. The flight returned to Sydney on the remaining two engines. The cause of the engine failure was due to a fuel leak in one of the MD-11's fuel systems. This aircraft, like all of Orbit's other MD-11 planes, has since been retired in 2013 and sold to Global airlines as a freighter. On 5 May, 2007, in the middle of the night, Orbit Connection Flight 8320, a Bombardier CRJ700 travelling from Burbank to Reno with 47 people on board, collided in mid-air with Quantum Air Cargo Flight 23, a McDonnell Douglas MD-10-30F travelling from Seattle to Mexico City. All 49 people aboard both aircraft were killed and both aircraft were completely destroyed. An investigation discovered that the Bombardier CRJ700 pilots were unable to immediately detect the Quantum Air Cargo plane due to fatigue associated with the long flight hours. On 16 September, 2008, while operating as Orbit Airlines Flight 112 from Las Vegas to London, the same Boeing 747-400 involved in the Flight 37 incident in 2001, N851OR, experienced a catastrophic failure of the #2 engine while cruising over Texas. The flight diverted to Houston, where the pilots executed a successful emergency landing. 6 passengers and a flight attendant were injured by flying debris hurled from outside and the aircraft itself sustained moderate damage. Investigations determined the cause of the engine failure to be an undetected fatigue crack in the #2 fan disk that was overstressed when the plane flew in 2008. The 747 has, once again, since been repaired and is still in service with Orbit. On 29 August, 2014, Orbit Connection Flight 5612, a Bombardier CRJ700 flying from Salt Lake City to Omaha, entered a sharp bank to the left during cruise flight over Colorado. The pilots were able to recover and make a safe emergency landing in Denver. All 47 people on board the CRJ700 survived, although 6 were injured. Inspection of the aircraft found that the rudder had deflected to its full left position, which indicated a rudder hardover. Investigations concluded this event occurred as a result of poor rudder maintenance. On 18 September, 2016, an Orbit Boeing 737-700 was slightly damaged after a hailstorm peppered Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. No one was on board the plane, as the aircraft was parked in front of a maintenance hangar awaiting general inspection the next day. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service. On 7 March, 2017, an unruly passenger was removed from Orbit Flight 7545, an Airbus A320 travelling from Boise to Sacramento. According to witnesses, the seemingly intoxicated passenger reportedly got up and started dancing in the aisle of the aircraft while the seatbelt sign was on. After being asked to return to his seat, he started acting loud and threatened to punch a flight attendant. The passenger was subdued and the flight landed in Sacramento without further incident. Part of the incident was caught on video and has received significant media attention. On 22 April, 2017, Orbit Connection Flight 2953, a Bombardier Q400, experienced a nose gear tire blowout on its takeoff roll at McCarran International Airport. The pilots aborted takeoff and no injuries were reported. On 25 November, 2017 Orbit Connection Flight 4892, a Bombardier Dash 8 100 flying between Islip and Boston did an emegency landing on New York´s LaGuardia airport after a little fire originated on the cargo hold of the little turboprop, wich was caused by a Lithium Battery, everyone evacuated via the emergency exits and no one was injured, the aircraft then was written off. On 13 January, 2018, Orbit Airlines flight 643 a 757 flying from LaGuardia Airport to Chicago O´Hare International airport clipped one of its winglets with a World Travel Airways flight 5219, an Airbus A321 flying between LaGuardia Airport and Houston Intercontinental Airport. The 757 caught fire on its wing and all of the passengers were evacuated via the evacuation slides, this was caused because the World Travel Airways A321 didnt obey the ATC and started pushback, the World Travel pilot talked to the chief of the investigation and sayed he started the pushback because the flight was delayed, the pilot then was fired of World Travel Airlines. Category:Europa __FORCETOC__